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Fiction Contemporary Women

Waiting for a Star to Fall

A Novel

by (author) Kerry Clare

Publisher
Doubleday Canada
Initial publish date
Oct 2020
Category
Contemporary Women, General, Contemporary
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780385695473
    Publish Date
    Oct 2020
    List Price
    $22.95

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Description

"A love story at its core, though one without an ending written in the stars. . . . Timely and insightful." —Karma Brown, #1 bestselling author of Recipe for a Perfect Wife
For fans of Joanne Ramos, Josie Silver, and Emily Giffin, a gripping and powerful story that asks: Just how much are you willing to forgive in the name of love?

Brooke has long been caught in the orbit of Derek, a rising political superstar. First he was her boss, then they were friends and she became his confidant, the one person he shared everything with. And even though she had feelings for him—it was hard to resist; he's charming and handsome, respected and beloved—she never dreamed he'd feel the same way. Derek is so much older and could have anyone he wanted.

But it turns out that who Derek wants is Brooke, and suddenly none of the reasons they shouldn't be together matter. They fall in love. And even though Brooke has to keep the relationship a secret—stealing weekends away with him, late nights with takeout after long days at work, and business trips that are always a romantic whirlwind—being close to him and her dreams of their future make everything worth it.

Then it all falls apart, and Brooke is left holding the pieces of the life they'd shared. Derek becomes embroiled in a scandal—the kind Brooke never could have imagined he'd be involved in—and she is forced to re-examine their relationship and make sense of the man she loves.

Poignant, heart-stopping, and resonant, Waiting for a Star to Fall is a story about love, the things we choose to believe, and how sometimes the path to happily ever after has to start with ourselves.

About the author

KERRY CLARE is the author of novels Waiting for a Star to Fall and Mitzi Bytes, and editor of The M Word: Conversations About Motherhood. A National Magazine Award-nominated essayist, and editor of Canadian books website 49thShelf.com, she writes about books and reading at her longtime blog, Pickle Me This. She lives in Toronto with her family.

Kerry Clare's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"Subtly complex, this romantic drama is tailor-made for the #Metoo age."
Montreal Gazette

"[Kerry Clare] leads us through the rocky terrain where politics and sex collide in this #MeToo era. . . . Waiting for a Star to Fall may be both a cautionary tale and a basis for understanding, especially if somebody you know—a sister, a daughter, a roommate, a friend or possibly yourself—has ever been caught up in a dubious relationship. . . . I read it in a day, and I've been thinking about it ever since."
Toronto Star

"Kerry Clare's Waiting for a Star to Fall is a love story at its core, though one without an ending written in the stars. It's about what we believe—and who we believe—and it reveals that we each control our own happiness and destiny. Timely and insightful, Clare has crafted a worthy successor to her memorable debut Mitzi Bytes."
—Karma Brown, #1 bestselling author of Recipe for a Perfect Wife

"Kerry Clare has done something spectacular: She's written a riveting #MeToo novel that is a nuanced celebration of the complexity of human nature. I read it in one morning and will be thinking about it for a long time to come."
—Lauren Mechling, author of How Could She

"Girl falls hard for charismatic, older man. It's heady and intoxicating. Then he turns out not to be who she thought he was. Like, at all. This is a thrillingly sexy book about that first big, bad love, and the pain of seeing someone for who they really are. Kerry Clare writes about the dark heart of women with a deceptively light touch, one that belies a complexity just below the surface. A diverting and compassionate read."
—Lisa Gabriele, author of The Winters

"Timely and entertaining on the surface—but crack through to its core and discover a deep and thought-provoking meditation on the flaws and foibles of humanity. This book is beautifully, brutally honest, reminded me of being 23, made me forgive myself my lapses in judgment—and, made me long for whatever Kerry Clare will write next. Fans of Emily Giffin and Curtis Sittenfeld take note: This is your next read."
—Marissa Stapley, bestselling author of The Last Resort

"A skillfully told story for our times, Waiting for a Star to Fall takes readers on an emotional journey. Clare's expert handling of this all-too-familiar yet difficult subject is sure to spark meaningful book club discussions."
—Chantel Guertin, author of the Pippa Greene novels

"When Kerry Clare's Waiting for a Star to Fall landed on my desk, I could not restrain myself and read the entire novel that same day. Taking a now familiar story as her starting point—famous man pummeled by sexual assault allegations—she ventures beyond the headlines, into terrain news stories can't cover. What gives these mediocre men their outsized confidence? Why do they act with so little regard for others and how do they keep getting away with it? Searching for answers, Clare turns the spotlight on her women characters, the ones who are hurt by these men even as they continue to enable them. A deft examination of power, complicity and accountability, Waiting for a Star to Fall is thoroughly engrossing. Clever and insightful, this book is a sheer delight."
—Sharon Bala, author of The Boat People

"I'm in awe of Kerry Clare's tender, imaginative care for the characters in Waiting for a Star to Fall. I was right there with them, viscerally in the moment with all their best and worst ideas, especially with Brooke, hoping for what she hoped for even when I worried about the outcome. Such a fully realized, fascinating, enthralling world Clare has created—I was completely enraptured."
—Rebecca Rosenblum, author of So Much Love

"Waiting for a Star to Fall is the novel we need at this moment: a wonderfully sharp and humane examination of power and betrayal, love and limits. Kerry Clare has told one woman’s story, but many of us will recognize ourselves in this rich portrait."
—Elizabeth Renzetti, Globe and Mail columnist and author of Shrewed: A Wry and Closely Observed Look at the Lives of Women and Girls

"Kerry Clare knows how to tell gripping, nuanced, sharp stories that are rooted in real life. But with Waiting for a Star to Fall, she goes even deeper, digging into the complexities of real life and all the mess, missteps, and mistakes that come with carving your own path to happiness. Timely, insightful, and skillfully written, this memorable story is about love, forgiveness, and deciding your own destiny."
—Nicole Blades, author of Have You Met Nora?

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